Corthion the White Knight
by Michelangelo Cornholio
Summary: The Halliwells deal with an angst ridden demon, who claims to be on their side.
1. Prologue

"Well 80's night is officially a bust," Piper said exasperated. She looked around the usually bustling P3. Tonight it was populated, by a dozen or so uninterested souls. 

"Wang Chung on a rainy Tuesday," Paige responded indifferently. "Way to bring 'em in," she continued caustically. Piper rolled her eyes and let out a huff. Well not everything had been so bad she thought the night's saving grace sat at the bar corner drinking a diet coke. He was an obese man in a trench coat and fedora, Piper thought he looked a little like a detective from a 30's movie. 

"Will there be anything else? " Piper asked taking his empty glass. 

"Another," he acknowledged in a somber tone. He placed a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. Piper took the money, paid the till then dumped the rest into the tip cup.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Paige asked dubiously

"It's the way it's been working for three hours," Piper responded. "Besides he's sober. He knows what he's doing" Besides his penchant for paying for two-dollar cokes with one hundred dollar bills he was a near perfect customer. If only he was more animated. 

Piper put the soft drink in front of him. As he took a sip, his eyes perked. He turned his gaze toward the door and two stylishly dressed men walking in. Mr. Trenchcoat recognized them immediately. Paige and Piper also recognized them, as demons. 

They each pulled an athame from their blazers, Mr. Trenchcoat responded with an Asian looking dagger. One moved on him, but side stepping Mr. Trenchcoat stuck his dagger deep into demon number two vanquishing him instantly. He didn't notice the first demon bringing his athame deep into his shoulder. As Mr. Trenchcoat fell to the floor, Piper blew up his demon attacker. 

Moaning, Mr. Trenchcoat got up trickling green ooze from his athame wound, demon blood. Piper reared back her hand ready to blow up her 80's night savior. 

Please don't! I'm not here to hurt you.


	2. Interrogation

Early the next morning, in the Halliwell attic:

"Ow," Mr. Trenchcoat blurted out. He was crumpled between a grouping of large crystals.

"How goes the interrogation?" Phoebe asked sleepily. Paige leaned against the Book of Shadows' stand. She threw another spell in the demon's direction. To which he responded with the same screams and yowls. 

"Not," yawns, "particularly well," Paige responded. "Although he is keeping with his story"

"Which is?"

"Ask him yourself."

Phoebe walked over to the demon.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I AmCorthion," the demon stuttered out. "I am a White Knight awaiting the orders of my mistress. He let out a burst of air.

"Let him recover," Paige insisted," it gets better."

"What's the Book have to say?" Phoebe inquired. 

"No mention of our Friend here, but," Paige returned "this is not a demon weapon.

"Where did you get this?" Phoebe asked with an annoyed tone, holding the dagger.

"From here," he said sarcastically, pulling a scabbard from his coat. " I won't hurt you. I just wanted a few diet cokes I didn't go looking for trouble. 

"And yet here we are," the two sisters said at the same time.

"Jinx," Phoebe replied 

"Damn I owe you a coke," Paige responded repressing a laugh. 

"Let me out and I will get you both cokes," Corthion begged.

"Come on, let him out he's got a trustworthy face," Phoebe joked. 

"I don't know," Paige countered with mock concern, "We should get a second opinion. Chris!" The young looking White lighter appeared in a shower of purple-white globes. 

"What you need?" he asked looking about curiously.

"Who is that charming fellow?" Paige inquired.

"That," getting a good look at the White Knight, is Corthion. In my future he owes me a favor. 

"That sounds like me," the demon let out.

Phoebe looked down quizzically at him. "Can we trust him?" 

Chris rubbed his chin. Does this Corthion have a tanto?

"A tanto? What is that like a vestigial tail?" Paige queried.

"It's a dagger. The kind Samurai used to carry. The Corthion I met" he paused and made his way to the Book of Shadows' stand, " had one just like this." He took the weapon from Phoebe's hand. He placed it on the stand. The Book of Shadows scooched a few millimeters, but no one noticed. "Yeah you can trust him."


	3. Corthion Eating Cereal

AN: As I have stated before I don't own any of the characters, with the exception of Corthion. That would be Aaron (Mr. Love Boat) Spelling. I would also like to thank ImmortalBuffyFan again for her invaluable input. 

Late Morning:

Piper entered the back door into the kitchen when she noticedHim. 

"Just what the hell do you think you are doing here?" She noticed the corpulent demon eating a bowl of cereal. His night of torture had left him in a tattered yellow Rolling Stones t-shirt and jeans ready to fall to shreds. "Most of the demons that come through here usually get right on with the murder attempts, not stay for milk and cookies." 

I'm eating CEREAL! I WOULD THINK THAT AFTER LAST NIGHT'S 'FUN' I COULD AT LEAST GET BREAKFAST," he exhaled sharply. "Summerland save me."

"YOU are eating OUR CEREAL. WE had to perform a MASS memory erasure, thanks to the guys that came after YOU. NOW you have the BRASS to eat our" Piper looked at the box," Muslix. AHHH!" Piper tackled him in his seat grabbing him by the throat, and slamming his head on the floor 

Paige raced in from the dining room. She spoke through gritted teeth

"Please behave both of you. You'll wake the baby."

Piper got off Corthion "I feel better," she exhaled.

"Well I've been better," Paige let out.

"I've paid money to get treated worse," Corthion admitted, getting up.

"Well that's a little too much information," Piper shifted the topic of conversation. "Well I have good news and bad news, which do you prefer? She sat across from Corthion obviously stressed.

" Good," Paige said nervously.

"According to my meeting with the Fire Marshall, I have six weeks to upgrade the sprinklers"

"Bad?" 

"It'll cost about six grand"

"Ooh, that is bad."

"I know a guy in Oakland," Corthion said fearing reprisal. "He owes me favor."

"Really," Piper said suspiciously. "And why would you want to help me?"

"It's in my nature, besides it'll get you to trust me."

"So you can sneak in one night, off us, take my baby, our book and do God knows what?"

"Here," Corthion curtly replied throwing a business card" on me. Mention me and the werewolves." Piper got up to use the phone. Corthion returned to eating his cereal. Paige sat down. 

"What brings you here?" she asked quizzically. 

"You want the full story, or the last chapter?" the demon Stones fan.

"The last chapter. I have a feeling the full story could take some time."

"I am a demon, obviously. Until about thirty years ago, I toiled in the service of evil as a healer demon. I was secure in my position, nice location, and interesting clientele. Then for some reason I was chosen. 

"She called herself Aradia. She claimed to be the mother of all things. I didn't believe her. I just felt an overwhelming desire to kill her. Then just like that," He paused, taking an opportunity to flick Paige on the forehead. "I became her servant. I was purified in that glorious instant. Since then, I have wandered in her service. When she needs me, I feel it just like that first time." 

" So what about your demonness, your powers?" Paige asked. 

"Purified apparently. She seems to like me and my powers the way they are," Corthion replied. "All I know is she somehow uses my desires for her ends." 

Piper took a breather from her phone call. 

"He says he can do the work for twelve hundred. That's a relief."

"What?" Corthion said getting up. " Give me the phone." Piper handed it to him.

"Yeah, Dorian it's Corthion. What's the deal? I know, but twelve hundred? What did you do last Friday night? Giants, really, how they doing this year? Remember that white sphere in the sky? I'm the reason you were there, and not dead, or hunting joggers. OK, that's more reasonable. Corthion cupped the phone's receiver. " Eight-fifty," he announced to the two sisters. "Good see you then." He hung up the phone. 

"Are you sure he can do the work?" Piper asked apprehensively.

"The 'niners haven't complained, have they?" Corthion responded as he began to clean his cereal mess. He stopped midway to the sink and froze. He felt the familiar flick.

"What is it?" Paige asked. 

"Something huge is going on in the demon ranks."


	4. The Demon Army

Shortly after noon:

Corthion paced around the conservatory, twirling his tanto. He had removed the scabbard and placed it on the wicker table. He stared at the knife's edge.

"Now if only Colonial Mustard and Mr. Boddy were here." He sniffed at himself 

__

Man do I need to shower. He thought. _Where are they?_

He heard the front door shut. _Finally. _It was the perky one. Phoebe. 

"Hello?" she entered cautiously "anyone in here?" she was surprised at whom answered.

"In Here," Corthion shouted 

"Phoebe sped up to a fast walk. She was surprised to see **him** standing there.

"I am not liking the looks of this," she said with a sour tone. 

"Yeah it's a recurring theme in my life too, the demon replied glibly. 

"Where are my sisters?" Phoebe asked with a shade of dread in her voice.

"Shopping, apparently Wyatt just ran out of diapers." 

"They both needed to go?"

"Neither wanted to stay with me. Now we can go about this one of several ways. One, I can tell you what is going on, and fill in your sisters when they eventually get back. Two, we wait. Three, you go about laying the smack down on my candy ass because of whatever reason seems good. Now a standard vanquishing spell won't work while I am under my goddess's protection, but feel free to use me as your punching bag for the time being." 

"Put the knife down," Phoebe ordered coldly,

"Here," he offered the handle to her "You can hold on to it." 

She grasped it. Phoebe then received an image. One of Corthion holding the dagger high, standing against a column of demons.

"What's wrong?" the White Knight asked apprehensively.

"You should have this," she responded. 

He could hear the back screen door slam shut.

"Hello any good demons here?" Piper asked loudly and sarcastically from the kitchen.

Phoebe went in to the kitchen followed in close by Corthion.

"Just what's going on?" Phoebe asked intently. Paige was putting things away while Piper was putting Wyatt who was in his car seat on the table.

"Ask Mr. Odoriffic over there." Piper rejoined

"OK here is what's going on" Corthion commenced. "A demon army is being assembled as we speak. As of this moment it consists of a few hundred. It's growing though, exponentially."

"Excuse me?" Phoebe asked. "A demon army? It's a little far fetched to tell the truth. The demon's we've fought have always unequivocally been interested in their selfish gains. An army of them suggests they've developed some kind of demon patriotism."

"I for one refuse to believe that demons have developed a sense of the greater evil, as it were." Paige added. 

"How do we know for sure we can trust you?" Piper asked. Corthion started to sputter.

"How? How?" He couldn't stand it. "How you ask? Here's how. Now would be the opportune moment to turn the little one away." Piper did so. Corthion then took his blade and cut a slab of his own flesh nearly from elbow to wrist and flung it on the floor between them.

"There you go, fillet of demon. Good for vanquishing, or on a bed of couscous with some collared greens and a nice Merlot." He reacted bitterly "Why must I prove myself to everybody, thirty years and this crap doesn't get any easier."

"Yeah that's been a recurring theme in our lives too," Phoebe replied. 

"You had me turn my baby for that? He's seen plenty of things if not worse then, equal to that." Piper quipped. "Besides I always thought demon would go better with a cabernet."

"Look I've given you three the heads up. If I get on the road now I could shimmer my way to Sevastapol, at least I know a few satyrs there who will help." Corthion said resignedly.

"Family meeting?" Paige chimed in. Corthion went to clean himself up with some paper towels. The Charmed one's conversation moved into the dining room. 

"We have to keep him here." Paige advocated. 

"Why he's surly, and rude, and he's got a bit too much attitude," Piper pointed out.

"Of course he's surly. With last night and the way we've been treating him," Paige came back

"I agree with Piper," Phoebe concurred. "I'm not comfortable having a demon in this house. Not after Cole. And especially with Wyatt and the book.

"What better place to keep our thumb on him? "Paige countered. "Where would be better? For him to be out there, where he could theoretically be causing mischief, or here?" 

"Paige has a point. If he's here, we could vanquish him if he appears to be out of line," Phoebe added.

"Why don't we vanquish his sorry rear end now?" Piper retorted.

"On the off-hand chance he is right." Paige rejoined. 

"Oh all right, but I've got a bad feeling about this." Piper ceded. 

Paige returned to the kitchen. She was more than a bit surprised by the sight of Corthion mopping up the mess caused by his self-mutilation. 

"How would you like to stay here for the time being? Paige offered.

"So you can keep tabs on me?" the demon shot back?

"No, if this army exists like you say it does, we'll need every resource we can muster."

"Let me guess, cot in the basement?"

"It's yours if you want it.

"Well, it's better than Sevastapol.


	5. Dying to Abuse

AN: Thanks to those who've reviewed the past chapters. Every review is appreciated. 

Fifteen minutes later:

The Halliwell bathroom was the cleanest Corthion had seen in a long time. He had spent his time in it with the best company he'd had in a long time as well. Paige had helped him bandage his wound. 

_Why did I do that?_ He thought to himself in the shower. Three day's worth of on the road grime was coming off. _Few things better than a cold shower and I wouldn't trade this for any of them right now._ For some reason, he started to sing, very loudly. "You can dance if you if you want to. You can leave your friends behind."

Paige and Piper passed each other outside in the hall. 

"Wow! That is something," Piper said. 

"His Laura Brannigan is better," Paige replied. Piper shuddered. 

" You take my self, you take my self control," rang out from the bathroom. Piper shuddered again, realizing Paige was right. _Lucky Phoebe._

Ten minutes later: 

Corthion stood by the washer waiting for it to finish. Except for the towel for modesty, he was buck-naked. He also felt vulnerable to the world. 

"Gotta buy more clothes," he thought aloud. "This is not right." The feeling would only be magnified by what happened next.

"Oh great, I can't get away from you for twenty minutes!," Piper exclaimed carrying laundry. "Please put some pants on. I don't want to see your 'little demon'. And just how the hell did you get down here? I was in the kitchen when must've gotten out."

"I shimmered OK," Corthion blurt out. "Like you've pointed out, I'm naked. I figure if you don't want to see me naked here you probably wouldn't want to see me naked there." The spin cycle ended, and with that Corthion threw his clothes in the dryer and set it for thirty minutes. "There"

Piper started her laundry. 

"You wanna know something?" she quizzed.

" I hate the 'Something Game'," the demon retorted.

"I don't like you."

"You're more straight-forward than most people. I like that about you.

Piper shut the lid and started the machine. She removed a piece of paper from her back pocket. 

"Is that a?" Corthion stammered.

" For all the time this demon is under our roof, may he only speak the truth," Piper recited. 

"It was," he acknowledged.

"Who are you?" Piper asked

"Corthion, former healer to the Source, servant of Aradia, the mother of all things."

"What are you doing here?"

"I am here to help the Charmed ones destroy a demon army."

"Damn he's telling the truth." 

"I was telling the truth before. You didn't believe me, and now you go about putting truth spells on me."

"I'm sorry, I needed to know."

"It's witches like you that give all the other witches a bad name."

"That seems a little low"

" You wanted the truth. Now you're getting the truth."

"You're rude even for a demon."

"Would you prefer it if I quote 'got on with the murder attempts'?"

"I think I would!"

Corthion blew a gasket. "I don't need to take this abuse. I've got vampires in Lisbon dying to abuse me! I think they'd be a lot nicer about it too!" He took his still sopping clothes out of the dryer. Putting them on he muttered something under his breath. Taking his tanto in hand, he said something completely shocking. "This army? It's your fault you know." With that, he turned blue and shimmered away.


	6. FiveThirtyish

5:30ish: Halliwell's Kitchen:

"What's up?" Phoebe asked coming home from the paper. The taint of anxiety rang in her voice. In the kitchen were Paige and Piper. Paige was leaning against the counter, scrying for something. Piper was making sure she had everything before going off to the club while simultaneously making faces at Wyatt. 

"Our friendly neighborhood demon took off," Piper replied with an air of acerbity. 

"Not without leaving a mystery for us. He claimed this demon army is our fault," Paige added. 

"What do you mean our fault?" Phoebe asked puzzled. 

"His parting words to me were, 'this demon army is your fault'. I'm not sure if he means me, or us," Piper responded sounding slightly baffled. "I can't think of anything I've done."

"Neither can I," Paige noted. 

"Well I can guarantee that it wasn't me," Phoebe claimed. "So what do we do now?" 

"I've been scrying for him but" Paige trailed off. She looked down at the map. "We haven't had any luck."

"Well I'm off," Piper announced. Tonight Wyatt gets the turkey dinner and the strained prunes."

"Eww, the prunes," Paige reacted in disgust. "They just shoot through him!"

"He's five months old," Phoebe chimed in agreement. "It's not as though we have to worry about his regularity." 

"The book says good colo-rectal health begins early," Piper shot back.

"And ends quickly," Paige carped. 

"He gets the prunes and that's that," Piper settled. "Well wish me luck."

"Best Wednesday to you," Phoebe said tongue in cheek.

"Thanks," Piper said in departing. "Bye wittle Wyatt, Mommy misses you already."

"Leave now! So he can have a chance to miss you too." Paige yipped. 

As Piper left, Phoebe moved over her sister's shoulder. 

"Where are we?" Phoebe asked. 

"The crystal just keeps pointing to this spot right off map," Paige stated.

"Well what's there?" Phoebe continued.

"Let's see, Golden Gate Bridge, hmm. Golden Gate Recreation Area! Why didn't I think of that before," Paige lamented.

"Seriously, when was the last time you were there?" Phoebe asked offhandedly.

"Fifth grade field trip," Paige admitted in a subdued tone.

"That's where he has to be." Phoebe pointed out.

5:30ish: Haas Playground, Golden Gate Recreation Area:

Corthion held his tanto high and ready. He had come here to brood. It had not worked out that way. Instead, he'd been assaulted. It was him against two demon bounty hunters.

"Come on!" he shouted panting. "You're boring the Hell out of me!" He saw an opening. Corthion ducked a slice from an athame only to parry another. 

"Get me out of this and I swear I will go on a diet_,_" He bargained. 

"Oh sure," he heard a female voice say. 

One regrouped enough to attack him again. He promptly kicked him to the ground. Corthion moved against the bounty hunter still on his feet. The demon charged at him. He made a quick thrust with his athame. It missed him but cut a large gash into his shirt.

'That was my favoreh, only shirt!" Corthion whined. He then grabbed the demon by his weapon arm, and sliced it off at forearm. Corthion promptly threw the severed limb and weapon away. Without missing a step, the now three-limbed demon conjured a fireball in the remaining hand. 

"Oh we gonna play like this?" Corthion taunted. He stirred his free hand producing an energy ball in it. He tossed it up and caught it. 

"Come on Nolan," he goaded. 

The three-limbed demon threw his fireball. Corthion caught it on the blade of his dagger, where he twirled it and deflected it to the ground. The kickback of this action left a nice wound on the left side of his face. _Better, not try that again._ He thought to him self, trying to ignore the stinging. 

" It's only a matter of time, give up the knife now," The relatively unharmed demon spoke. 

"You're the pitcher in the relationship aren't you?" Corthion rebuffed. He moved his attention on the mutilated demon. "I feel your pain." 

The first demon had tucked away his athame and was now forming two fireballs, but before he could move to attack, Corthion threw his energy ball vanquishing his two-armed attacker.

"Well that was fun," Corthion huffed and puffed. "Round two?" 

Corthion readied his tanto for a charge. Midway through he tripped on someone orbbing in. His blade flew out of his hand. 

"Oh this is five shades of good!" He shouted sarcastically. 

"You're not on the bottom," Paige mumbled underneath. 

Corthion moved off her and got up in a quick motion. The remaining bounty hunter already had Corthion's dagger. 

"Thanks this is all I need. But here is a present for your pretty white lighter," The mutilated demon said throwing something at Paige. Without thinking Corthion dove, catching it in his throat. While bounty hunter shimmered away, Corthion fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. 


	7. Misdirection

Halliwell Basement

"Well what does the book have to say?" Paige demanded. 

"It doesn't say anything. The idea that we would be even thinking about this must've seemed ludicrous to the previous Halliwells." Phoebe answered. She was flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadows. "How are you making out." 

"Not well, ground bloodstone, and thyme apparently don't have the same effect on a demon. Nothing?" Paige asked with worry. Corthion lay on a cot dazed with a stream of foam leaving his mouth. "We have to save him." 

"It may not be possible," Phoebe said in an understanding tone. "But listen to this. It says here that many demon bounty hunters do use darts like this," Holding the one Corthion caught. "'Amongst the different types of poison used include dark-lighter poison.'" 

"That helps us how?" Paige interjected. 

"Also," Phoebe continued. "Common types of poison include, Aresnet which paralyzes witches temporarily, Hakores which kills instantaneously, Lolirep which wait he threw this at you."

"Yeahoh!" Paige's response brought out the answer they'd been looking for.

Corthion made painful sounding rasps as he tried to speak. "Waatger"

"What did you say?" Phoebe asked.

"Waatger," he weakly held up his now weaponless scabbard. 

"What good's water going to do," Phoebe wondered, still ill at ease with what they were trying to do. 

"It can't hurt to try it, Paige said taking the scabbard before running upstairs. 

"Just remember the Perrier is Piper's," Phoebe hollered after her. 

Paige returned with Scabbard in hand. 

"That's not Piper's is it?" Phoebe wondered.

"San Francisco's finest tap," Paige assured her. "Here drink this."She pressed the water to his lips. With that, he passed into unconsciousness.

Non descript cave somewhere in the underworld:

"THIS IS WHAT YOU GOT OFF OF HIM! THIS DAGGER IS USELESS!" A cloaked figure yelled at an one-armed demon bounty hunter. 

"Dayvis died to get you that blade and I lost my arm. You said that he was a bumbling fool," the injured demon threw back. "Candy from a baby you said."

"DON'T USE MY WORDS AGAINST ME!" the figure ordered. "He must be hiding it on me. Still he must keep it within easy reach. You! If the operation is to go off as planned, we need that dagger. Take whom you need." 

"What about my reward?" the bounty hunter asked coolly. 

"Oh yes," the figure said slightly aloof. "Your arm I give back to you. Succeed I will reward handsomely in the new order. Fail me and the ranks will tear you to pieces. 

Later that evening in the Halliwell basement:

Corthion's world comprised little more than loud static and blinding white light. Then the intrusion of the greater world. His eyes hurt. The noise of his breathing hurt his ears. Even thinking hurt. 

"I thought you'd never wake up." Paige said in a nurturing tone.

"I'm not dead?" Corthion replied in almost disappointed humor.

"I'm sorry to let you down," Paige answered. 

"You didn't. I'm just waiting for it," He dryly responded. "So do I have you to thank for my recovery? " 

"I got the water. If that's what you mean," Paige rejoined. 

"Well thank you. I can imagine someone in your position would soon as kill me as save me."

"Well I can't imagine why you'd save me."

"Why's that?" 

"I assumed after the argument with Piper that you'd want nothing to do with us."

"Can I assume you are not your sister?"

"That's one way of putting it." 

"Well it's what I do. Try to do. Anything else you need to know? Your sister did put me under a truth spell. " 

"She didn't mention that."

"Yeah well I guess when you're dealing with what I happen to be, certain precautions should be taken." 

"So what did you mean by the whole 'your fault' thing?" 

"I threw that one out in anger but it's true. One of you did start the demon army. All I know is that one of you gathered together a small band of demons, then abandoned them."

"Ewl"

"That was you?"

"It seemed to be the right idea at the time."

"Good intentions I guess. You have my scabbard, right?"

"Yeah what's so important about it? They ran off with your knife."

"This is what we call story time. A long time ago the first witch, wizard, warlock, demon, local deity, or some other magical being learned how to store great power into a weapon. Now don't ask me how someone thought this was a good idea. Legends of these weapons filtered through the ages. Now not so long ago Aradia created twenty such weapons. More powerful than any of those have come before. I was entrusted with one."

"But that bounty hunter ran off with it."

"No he didn't. When looking for the blade natural assumption leads all to the tanto, ignoring the knife on the side of the scabbard. That knife has the power to heal and to destroy. Theoretically it could cut down the barriers between the demon, human, and other realms."

"That sounds bad."

"Brussels sprouts bad" 


	8. Casino in Michigan

Halliwell kitchen very early morning:

"Hey Fresca," Corthion said standing in front of the refrigerator door. He held the two-liter bottle in his left while unscrewing with his right. "The only soda better flat."

"You're not going to drink that from the bottle are you?" a voice said from the other side of the room. "At least let me leave before you start swigging. You know? Let me keep one fantasy in my life." Corthion stared at the bottle dumbfounded. "Glasses are in the third cupboard."

"Thanks, Piper isn't it?" Corthion responded, slightly abashed.

"You know my name now?" Piper threw back

"It helps to know the name of both friend and foe." 

"Is that how you see me?" 

"A pence from column A, a pound from column B."

"Nice to know where I stand."

Corthion turned around and noticed Piper sitting at the table with an inch and a half of wine left in its bottle. He sat down with his own beverage.

"Spending time with your good friends Gina and Jack?" the demon asked with a mix of disquiet and disdain.

"Phoebe was saving this for a special occasion. I figure the club starting to go under" she broke off with slight sobbing. 

"What's the problem?" Corthion questioned, trying to empathize.

"The club, the mortgage, the cancellation, you!" she bit back at him.

"Ooooh-kaaay. Good list. I can only help with a few of those," he tossed up defensively. "Who cancelled?"

"DJ Kute." Piper bitterly said through gritted teeth.

"The DJ Kute?" Corthion's ears perked up. " I saw her down in San Diego a few years ago. She does a version of 'Safety Dance', I swear it's like a sonic orgasm."

"That is too much information. It was that damn song that lead me to book her." Piper threw back another glass of wine. "She double booked. It was me and a casino in Michigan."

"Casino in Michigan?" Corthion responded in disbelief. "I've been to all of 'em, nothing but a sea of blue hair and nickel slots."

"Well non the less there she goes and here I am. Stuck without a booking for Saturday."

"I know a guy that might be able to help out."

"Who? Unless you can book someone good for by then I'm sunk."

"How about Cory Thorne?"

"Cory Thorne? The magician? No one's seen him since the whole Eiffel Tower disappearing trick. How can you?"

"Cory Thorne, Corthion, I wondered when you would catch on."

"But, and this probably just the wine talking, why? How? He's a suave, sophisticated, Italian suit kinda guy. You are blunt, low brow, fat, what's left of your one and apparently only shirt just covers what I don't want to see, and you reek slightly of low tide."

"Ouch I'm trying to do you a favor. I would prefer your club and besides it might throw water on the wicked witch of the West Coast."

"I'm not sure how to take that."

"I'm not sure exactly how I meant it. We should save this for the morning. When you're not drunk on 'Gallo Sonoma.'"

"I'm not drunk I'm I'm, ah you're right."

Corthion noticed a three-quarters moon being graced by a stray cloud. 

"You going to need help getting upstairs?" 


End file.
